Friday, November 17, 2017

Hook

I love you is how we sign off with the people we love. It’s the last thing we say at night to our spouses or children, it’s how we end phone calls.  I love you is how we say goodbye.

So I suppose it shouldn’t have come as such a surprise.

4 comments:

  1. I haven't had my coffee yet, but this is making me smile (a rarity before coffee)--in appreciation.

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  2. Thanks! Not sure where to put it - if it belongs somewhere in Sparks or the next book.

    It’s funny, I’ve been researching agents (slightly prematurely but it gets me excited) and something everyone is always asking for is voice. And it’s so frustrating! What exactly is voice? Will they like mine? But then I reread little snippets like this and wonder if perhaps that’s what they’re talking about.

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  3. I think your writing has 'voice'--that is, there is a consistent sense throughout of the personality of the writer.

    That said, I tend to think that when people call for voice, they are putting it out there because the most important things they really want are all so self-evident: good characters, brisk pace, ingenious plotting.

    And they have to say something! So 'voice' it is.

    I think of voice from the perspective of an English teacher, not a writer (because, whatever my weaknesses and self-doubts as as writer, I have total self-confidence that my writing has Me stamped all over it.) So, from the teacher's point of view: it was a nice bonus when a student's writing had voice, but I had students with all sorts of serious writing problems who nevertheless had voice. And I had acceptable and decent writers whose work seemed bland and anonymous--voiceless.

    Anyway, I don't think you can work on voice the way you can work on plot, character, etc. It tends to be inborn and trying to force it just results in artificial-sounding writing.

    But, in any case, you are already voice-y, so IMO, no worries on that front.

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  4. Thank you, as ever you are extremely generous.

    But I agree with and feel relieved at the realization that voice isn’t something I should be consciously practicing chapter by chapter.

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